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It’s a ‘demoliviction’
City council is debating a bylaw that would hamper building owners removing tenants so extensive work can be carried out on their rental buildings.
Isn’t it ironic that council is demolishing 60 buildings to make way for the controversial bus rapid transit (BRT) system, displacing many vulnerable tenants who would find it difficult to find alternative housing.
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“Renoviction” implies there’s some hope the tenant will be able to return after the renovation, but all hope is dashed when 60 buildings are ripped down. Sounds like council is carrying out a “demoliviction.”
Walt Lonc, London
Get to root cause
Re: Council approves bylaw to thwart ‘renovictions’ (July 24)
God forbid politicians might attempt to get to the root cause of a problem.
The cause of renovictions is they’re the only way a landlord can get some reasonable return on their investment.
Rent controls rarely allow the landlord to keep an effective maintenance program, often resulting in property deterioration and the need for substantial renovations.
Since rent controls reduce landlord revenues to the point of not covering costs, landlords get creative in an attempt to increase income.
Politicians jump in in the name of protecting tenants with regulations that allow deadbeat tenants to go for months without paying, further disincentivizing rental investment, further reducing supply, and increasing the use of the renoviction option.
So our politicians jump in again with more regulations requiring a $400 permit and an engineer’s confirmation that the renovation requires tenants to vacate.
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That will likely cost another $400. Can’t they see where this is going? More reason to not invest in rental accommodations and therefore less supply. On top of that, how many overpaid bureaucrats do governments need to hire to oversee the multitude of regulations?
Rent controls lead to overregulation and less supply.
Barry Haley, London
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What country do we live in again?
So, we have highrises going up at an alarming rate. We have booze being sold incorner stores because that’s important. We have zero choices at the federal level to run our country.
We have morning shootings in our fair city and now we have our newspapers being tossed onto our driveways every morning.
What country do we live in again?
David Dufton, London
Trump supporters
Re: Claims incredible (July 20).
In her letter, Genevieve Grech asks, “What planet are all of these Trump supporters living on?”
That question could as reasonably be asked of supporters of Biden, Trudeau, and numerous other politicians these days.
The reason aliens haven’t contacted us is they are seeking planets with intelligent life. Earth doesn’t qualify.
Dave Plumb, Belmont
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